Written by

Michelle Singletary
The Washington Post

Beginning Oct. 1, people without health insurance can shop for what is promised to be affordable health care coverage.

It's all part of the rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. For the last three years, various parts of the law have been implemented: Young adults can stay on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26; insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential services such as hospital stays; people ...